Laurent Mekies, the Red Bull team principal, has acknowledged it would be “silly” to expect its new engine to be at the same level as Ferrari and Mercedes in F1 2026.

It comes just weeks after his predecessor Christian Horner admitted that it would be “embarrassing” for the current manufacturers if Red Bull produces a better engine at the first time of asking.

Red Bull has ‘a mountain to climb’ with F1 2026 engine

Red Bull will produce its own engines for the first time next year via its newly established Powertrains division, which will work in collaboration with US giant Ford as current engine supplier Honda enters a new partnership with Aston Martin.

In an exclusive interview with PlanetF1.com earlier this year, Horner described the team’s in-house engine program as “by far the bi

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